Apparatus for generating heat



April 14, 1953 H. ERICKSON 2,634,304

APPARATUS FOR GENERATING HEAT Filed Oct. 10, 1951 if I g E.

INVENTOR.

flan/y 576/4600.

Patented Apr. 14, 1953 UNITED STATES TENT OFFICE 4' Claims. I

This invention relates to a heating apparatus and more particularly toan apparatus for burning liquid or gaseous fuel and producing a maximumyield of heat therefrom.

The principal object of the invention is the provision of an apparatusfor burning a gaseous or liquid fuel in a closed container so as toretain a maximum recovery of heat therefrom.

A further object of the invention is the provision of an apparatus forburning fuel under controlled conditions and in a stationary atmosphere.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of an apparatusfor burning fuel in a closed container and holding the said burning fuelcharge in the said container until the mechanical energy thereof hasbeen translated into heat energy capable of being recovered from thesaid container.

The apparatus for burning liquid or gaseous fuel disclosed hereincomprises a means of efficiently heating a desired medium through theautomatic charging and burning of fuel in a container capable of holdingthe burning fuel charge and restraining its mechanical energy line orother liquid hydrocarbon. The combustion chamber of the device may beutilized for heating air by direct convection or for the purpose ofheating a fluid heating medium as desired and the entire device may beformed of relatively simple and inexpensive parts and is of relativelysmall size in comparison with its heating ability.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention resides in the combination andarrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafterdescribed and claimed, it being the intention to cover all changes andmodifications of the example of the invention herein chosen for purposesof the disclosure, which do not constitute departures from the spiritand scope of the invention.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a plan view with parts broken away and parts in crosssection.

Figure 2 is a horizontal section taken on line 2-2 of Figure 1.

By referring to the drawings and Figure 1 in particular it will be seenthat a circular base l0 has a cylindrical body member forming acombustion chamber H mounted thereon and preferably formed integrallytherewith. The cylindrical combustion chamber H is preferably providedwith heat dissipating fins I2 and is closed at its upper end by a headI3. The lower end of the base it forms a closure l4 defining theopposite end wall of the combustion chamber II. The head l3 has aventing chamber I5 formed therein as defined by side walls It and anuppermost closure H. An exhaust pipe l8 communicates with the ventingchamber l5 on one side thereof and an air inlet pipe 153 communicateswith the venting chamber on the opposite side thereof. A valve 26normally closes the air inlet pipe H9.

The head It carries a central vertical body member 2! which positionsvertically arranged and horizontally disposed pairs of rollers 22 whichserve as movable guides for a valve stem 23, the lower portion of whichdefines a valve 24. It will be observed that the valve 24 is disposedwithin a conical restricted upper end portion of the head i3 and ismovable vertically against the same so as to close the passagewaynormally existing between the combustion chamber II and the vent chamber[5 and through the body member 2|.

The upper end of the valve stem 23 has a pair of spaced nuts 25 threadedthereon and a bifurcated arm 26 is engaged therebetween, it beingobserved that the bifurcated arm is integrally formed with the valve 20and pivoted as at 21 to one of the walls iii of the venting chamber. Theweight of the valve 24, valve stem 23 and the arm 26 is sufficient tonormally maintain the valve 2% in closed position with respect to theair inlet pipe Q9.

The head i3 is apertured for the reception of spark plugs 28 and theyare electrically connected with a suitable power source-in seriesconnection with a switch 29.

Fuel is introduced into the base Id of the combustion chamber ll throughan inlet orifice 3i) which is located at an angle to the point ofcommunication with the base l6 so that fuel introduced thereinto willtravel in a circular motion, as shown by the arrows in Figure 2 of thedrawings. The fuel is supplied from a fuel line 3! which is incommunication with a float valve 32, the float portion 33 of which ridesthe liquid level in a fuel receiving bowl 34. A fuel delivering bowl 35is in communication with the fuel receiving bowl 34 by way of anintercommunicating passageway 36 which incorpo- 3 rates a check valve 31permitting flow of fuel from the fuel receiving bowl 34 to the fueldelivering bowl 35. A fuel delivering pipe 38 extends from a point nearthe bottom of the fuel delivering bowl 35 to a nozzle 39 positioned in amixing chamber 40 and defined by a hollow body member M. A check valve42 permits fuel from the pipe 38 to flow into the nozzle 39 but does notpermit fuel or pressure to move from the nozzle 39 into the pipe 38.

Compressed air is delivered to the mixing chamber 40 from the air supplyline I9 and through a check valve 43 which permits air to flow into themixing chamber 40 but does not permit air or pressure to flow backwardlyinto the air supply line I9. The fuel receiving bowl 35 is also incommunication with the air supply line I9 as is the switch 29 which isnormally biased to open position by a spring 44 and which closes whenair pressure in the supply line I9 reaches a predetermined point. Inorder that the air pressure in the air supply line I9 can be maintained,an air compressor 45 is provided.

In operation, fuel from the fuel receiving bowl 34 flows through thecheck valve 36 and into the fuel delivering bowl 35 to establish thesame level therein as present in the fuel receiving bowl 34. Air fromthe compressor 45 flows through the line I9 and through the check valve43, into the mixing chamber 40 and through the orifice 30 into thechamber II. The air flows upwardly through the head I3, the guide member2I and into the venting chamber I and outwardly through the exhaust pipeI8. At the normal operating pressures of the compressor 45 the valve 24remains open and the combustion chamber II is thus in communication withthe atmosphere through the exhaust pipe I8.

Simultaneously with the delivering of air into the mixing chamber 49,air is delivered to the fuel delivering bowl 35. As the air pressure isestablished therein, the check valve 31 closes and the air forces thefuel outwardly through the pipe 38 and the nozzle 39 and into the mixingchamber 40 where it is atomized and conveyed along with the air into thecombustion chamber by way of the orifice 30. As heretofore mentioned,the introduction of the fuel charge is in a rotating manner, as shown inFigure 2 of the drawings.

As the fuel charge is carried upwardly through the combustion chamber,air pressure in the line I9 overcomes the tension of the spring 44 inthe pressure switch 29 and closes the circuit energizing the spark plugs28 whereupon the fuel charge in the combustion chamber II is ignited.The ignition of the fuel charge results in an initial expanding actionof the burning gases of the same which immediately closes the valve 24and the check valves 42 and 43 which control the fuel and air linescommunicating with the mixing chamber 40. The combustion chamber II isthus closed with respect to the atmosphere as well as the air and fuellines and the fuel charge burns in the closed combustion chamber II. Thecylindrical body member defining the combustion chamber II issufficiently strong to hold the increasing pressures of the burning fuelcharge and the mechanical energy thus being restrained is required togive off its energy in the form of heat.

During the time of the burning of the fuel charge in the combustionchamber II, the valve 20 is held in open position by the valve 24 '4having been moved upwardly into closed position against the head I3.Such action bleeds the air line I9 through the venting chamber I5 andthe exhaust pipe I8 thus reducing the pressure in the air line I9 toapproximately atmospheric pressure and at the same time conveying anyfuel charge remaining in the venting chamber I5 outwardly and awaytherefrom.

When the burning fuel charge has given up its energy in the form of heatthrough the fins I2 and the pressure in the chamber II has dropped, thevalve 24 will again open by gravity action which closes the valve 20 andpermits the compressor 45 to re-establish pressure in the air pipe I9and the device re-cycles.

It will thus be seen that the operation of the device is dependent uponthe alternate rise and fall of air pressure in the air supply line I9 asthe falling of the pressure therein at such time as the valve 20 is openpermits the fuel to refill the fuel delivery'bowl 35 by the introductionof a sufficient quantity of fuel therein for the subsequent chargingportion of the cycle. It will also be seen that the pressure switch 29operates responsive to the fluctuation of the air pressure in the supplyline I9, thus alternately energizing and de-energizing the spark plugs28 at the proper times.

It has been determined that the firing interval of the apparatus asherein disclosed will run approximately 15 to 20 seconds, a majority ofthis time comprising the period of heat transfer necessary to dissipatethe fuel energy to a point sufiicient to permit the valve 24 to open andthe re-cycling of the device to begin.

The compressor 45 is preferably of the continuous duty type and isdriven by a suitable integrally formed electric motor also of thecontinuous duty type and it will be observed by those skilled in the artthat the cost of operating the device is relatively low compared withthe quantity of heat produced therefrom. In burning such liquidhydrocarbon fuels as gasoline, for example, relatively small sizedapparatus efficiently converts the fuel energy to heat energy which maybe used in a desired manner.

It will thus be seen that a novel apparatus for burning fuel in a staticcondition under completely automatic control has been disclosed andwhich apparatus meets the several objects of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. Heating apparatus comprising a combustion chamber, a mixing devicefor introducing air and fuel into said combustion chamber, valves insaid mixing device preventing flow of air and fuel from said combustionchamber, said combustion chamber having an outlet opening therein and avalve arranged partly within said combustion chamber to close saidopening responsive to pressure generated by combustion in said chamberand a spark plug in said combustion chamber for igniting a fuel chargetherein.

2. An automatically re-cycling heating apparatus comprising incombination a combustion chamber, a mixing device for introducing airand fuel mixtures thereinto, valves in said mixing device preventingreturn flow therethrough, said combustion chamber having an outletopening therein and a valve arranged to close said opening uponcombustion occurring in said chamber, a spark plug in said combustionchamber, a source of electricity for said spark plug, a secondary valveconnected to and operated by said first named valve, said secondaryvalve responsive in opening to closing motion of said first named valve,a source of air pressure and an air line in communication with saidsource and said secondary valve, a pressure operated switch incommunication with said air line and controlling said electricity sourcea source of liquid fuel in communication with said mxing device, saidair line in communcation with said source of fuel and said mixer wherebyopening of said secondary valve responsive to closing of said firstnamed valve vents said air line and opens said pressure switch and stopsfiow of fuel to said mixing device.

3. The heating apparatus disclosed in claim 2 and further characterizedby the source of liquid fuel comprising a fuel delivering bowl having adischarge pipe terminating near the bottom thereof and a relativelylarger liquid receiving area thereabout defining a relatively large airpressure chamber thereabove.

4. The heating apparatus disclosed in claim 2 and wherein said firstnamed valve is mounted without said combustion chamber and extendswithin said combustion chamber through said outlet opening thereof andis movable into said outlet opening and wherein said secondary valve iswithout said combustion chamber.

HENRY L. ERICKSON.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

